Africa – Page 76 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Ghana CLM aspirants meeting

23 November, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

This 14th November, we met at Abor for our formative meeting.

At the beginning, we prayed the Lauds and meditated upon a letter of St Comboni to his parents (Writings n.55- 62). After this, we had a presentation about the History of the CLM family. The presentation was based on the one that Alberto de la Portilla presented at Kinshasa at our second Continental Meeting. The presentation first talked about the various CLM international meeting with their conclusions. The main one is the one of Ellwagen in 2006. The continuation shows the readiness of the MCCJ to journey with the lay people. The last step is the showing of the various CLM groups in the world with their way of life.

After this, we discussed a little bit about the selling of the magazine New People. The coordinator insisted on the availability of each member to commit himself in responding to our CLM vocation. We talked also about the commitment at our various places.

The prayer and our community food ended the meeting.

After the meeting, we were informed of the appointment of a new Chaplain for the group in the name of Rev. Fr Philip Zema, mccj. We thank the Provincial and His Counsel for their attention and readiness to help us grow in our vocation.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

On the way to the Mission – Sending Maria Augusta to CAR

1 November, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

On October 25, echoing the message that brings the October missionary, celebrated around the world, we celebrated with joy and faith, the ceremony of sending of Maria Augusta Pires for the Central African Republic.

We thank God for a week of missionary animation in the schools of Dornelas do Zêzere and Pampilhosa, with great joy we share with the children our missionary experiences, while we gave testimony of Him who sends us always on mission.

In the four homes in the area, after a moment of prayer, was wonderful to see the faces of the elderly who opened into a big smile when we started singing and clapping… Everyone was very happy and promised to pray for missionaries every day.

On Saturday afternoon, in the Eucharist celebrated by three priests (Fr. João and Fr. Orlando, from these parishes and Father Dario of the Comboni Missionaries) in six parishes around Janeiro de Baixo (birthplace of Maria Augusta), we gave our missionary testimony as Comboni Lay Missionaries.

This missionary week culminated with a Mass in the parish church of Janeiro de Baixo, chaired by monsignor Virgilio, bishop of Coimbra, where we solemnly celebrated the sending of the CLM Maria Augusta Pires, that will leave next November 9 to the Mission of Mongoumba – CAR – where will make community with the CLM Elia Gomes that it is there since 2011.

In this so special and meaningful Eucharist, the church was full of Christians from the various parishes in the area who wanted to join us to pray for all missionaries. At the end of the Mass there were tears and emotion on the faces of almost everyone, moved by the words of Maria Augusta about the Mission. Many, many people came to say hello and to wish good luck for the mission and telling that they would pray for her.

After Mass Mgr. Virgilio greeted and spoke to all the people who wanted to be with him (and there were many!).

At the end of this day, I can only, thanks, thank the Bishop for his presence, his secretary Father Pedro, Father Dario, a Comboni missionary and the Fathers Juan and Orlando for the effort they put into making possible this missionary week. Everything went very well, so thank the Lord wholeheartedly.

Maria Augusta Pires (CLM on the way to the Mission)

The celebration of the 10th October in Ghana

21 October, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

For the first time, we celebrated as lay group the Solemnity of our Founder. We took the opportunity to talk about the founder, ourselves and the process of formation.

Everything started on Wednesday, the 7^th of October. Mr Adze Daniel, an old Comboni student, presented the life of Comboni. He talked about his birth, his parents, his vocation and mission. The presentation was so seducing that the workers, the youth and children around were filled with admiration towards the zeal of Comboni.

On the second day, the 8^th, Rev. Fr Joseph Rabbiosi, MCCJ, presented the Comboni Family. He presented the four branches, the Priest and Brothers, the Comboni Sisters, the Seculars and the Comboni Lay Missionaries. He emphasized a little upon the history of the male Congregation, the MCCJ, how it has started and how and when they came to the Province Togo-Ghana-Benin and what they are doing.

On the third day, the 9^th, Mr Justin Nougnui talked about the formation process for the MCCJ priest and clm. He insisted on the need of having a spiritual director, the disposition of community life, the disposition to witness the good news to the poor and vulnerable for both MCCJ and CLM; the academic performance so necessary to journey towards priesthood and the professionalism necessary for the CLM. The CLM can be married or single and we do not make any official vows. To a question, he explained clearly that some of the works we do cannot free us to give ourselves totally for the proclamation of the Good News and to fulfill what is required for a CLM candidate. Nevertheless, such workers can be friends of CLM and support them financially for achieving their goals.

The 10^th was a diocesan programme for priestly ordination. So the 10^th Mass was celebrated on Sunday 11^th to thank the Lord for giving us a so committed person in the name of Daniel Comboni who did not spare any effort to work for the regeneration of Africa. We prayed for the Comboni Family and especially for the CLM in our province that the Lord may strengthen them and provide them with means to carry out their activities.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

The mission is a plan of love for which we shouldn´t spare any effort

10 October, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

This is one of the many phrases that Comboni has left us as a proof of his donation and the conviction of his vocation.

Every day we hear, see and read in the news the world’s inequalities. Every day we find so many people who need hope.

A world, home of all, that is deeply interconnected, that need from us to wake up and unite all efforts to propose a new way of living, more just and dignified for all. It needs that we roll up our sleeves and get down proposing and carrying out a new humanity. Need people ready to be with those men and women who suffer most from exclusion and have no consideration from others. Needs people that carry the tenderness and love of God to every corner of the planet where necessary.

In a world where the money find facilities and people barriers, we need to recover and make present the love of God. Mercy that restore wounds and brotherhood and solidarity that allows us to share this land that is everybody’s home. We all have the right to enjoy it, no matter where we were born or the possibilities of the family that has welcomed us.

We need you to step forward and join us. The mission is a plan of love for which we shouldn´t spare any effort.

A happy time in Carapira – Mozambique

7 October, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

The going of Jesus, as told in the Gospel of Sunday XXIII Ordinary Time, to a territory outside the Jewish tradition tells us that God’s concern is with everyone, not leaving anyone out. A deaf is brought before Jesus, he knows nothing about Him because he did not hear and, of course, could not seek Him by his own initiative. Who does not know Jesus we do not have to censor, but rather lead to Him.

On the way we did for the trip to Mozambique we went to meet those forgotten by society, I talk about the homeless and the poor, because, however much people are supportive, we forget the real suffering of these our friends, loneliness. How many times have told us that we were different, we brought a smile, a hug, a kind word…? The feeling that I wanted to take with me to Carapira. I did not know what I was going to find, but I took an open heart, cheerful, full of love to give. We must learn from Jesus to feel the problems of others and get involved in their solution. It was that feeling and purpose that we try to achieve, and the Fe and Mission group conducted. We open ourselves, we listen, look, get involved and engaged with students of the Industrial School of Carapira, with the missionary family (fathers, brothers, sisters, laity) and with the community of Carapira. Where I loved the beautiful work of everyone, especially Lay Missionaries, who are close to people, communities and their everyday problems, as well as students of the Industrial School of Carapira.

Every day we went to meet the community of Carapira, after praying Lauds (06:00), after the “mata bicho” funny expression means having breakfast, from 1:30 to 2:00 I stay with the kids, playing with them, wearing a smile, I helped the moms to draw water… to be with people, give them a hug and a kind word for everyone we met. I learned that those who have nothing of material goods, are the happiest, they do not care for physical appearance of the other, about the dress or the way we are, but they appreciate the joy of life and the ability to share the little things We have to each other.

Highlighting some important moments of my stay. I visited on a Friday with Father Firmino the community of Caserna, it was the day of baptism. I loved to participate in this beautiful celebration and a special culture, while Fr. Firmino confessed youth they were to be baptized, I went for a walk around the community, and in one of the houses, was a young man of 12 years, David, lying at the entrance, moaning in pain. After having asked what was going on and not getting response appeared young David’s mother, who informed me that he was bitten by an animal. David’s hand was very swollen, so I got scared and tried to warn the mother to go to the doctor, but she said they could not, they live far from the health center, and had no money to go by public transport, the only transportation that could take. I could not escape this situation, however, I took from the backpack drinking water to clean the hand of the young and offered him a piece of cake, which I have to eat if I was hungry, David loved to eat something sweet and so good.

When I got to the school of Carapira, I went to the house of the Lay Comboni Missionaries, and asked for help to Marcia, a laity working in this mission, Portuguese and from the District of Aveiro, who immediately offered to help David.

The next week I was with a group of five young of Carapira talking on the street, when suddenly I see a man carrying on his back a woman who was ill with malaria, and could not walk far. I asked the young people for help, to assist the man, but the response was negative, as was normal, the lady was with malaria… but I could not bear to see this situation without doing anything, so I helped him, the man took the woman in the back and it was leaning on my shoulders… that will not be very helpful, but I think it was useful. These are small gestures that can change the world.

What I liked least to live and see in Mozambique was the lack of conditions in relation to health, education and equal rights for women, which are considered inferior to men. But the joy, friendship, simplicity of these people are able to overcome any existing negativity, I want to emphasize “people’s education”, they are highly educated (they like greeting people), even without the right to education that many other peoples have.

We all had various responsibilities, some more heavies, other lighters, but all very important and meaningful for the mission. We live and work as a community. I thank all the people who greeted us, welcomed us, who trusted us… but above all the youth of the Industrial School of Carapira, the 3rd B, of which I felt closer and every day I remember them, I pray that they study, strive for a better future and do not forget that they can be what they want, they are not inferior to anyone.

I have lived a dream I will never forget. I can say “I smelled the Mission,” which helped me grow as a man and as a Christian. I want to come back!!

For this and for that, I ask the Lord to heal us of deafness and blindness, and put us in sincere communion with His love and with the world around us.

See you son Carapira – Mozambique!

Germano Ferreira